Magic Burns
by Phoenix's Dreams
Summary: Riza has the ability to cast magic and summon GF's continuously. When she breaks away from her tormentor will Squall and Garden be able to help her save Gia once again from the wrath of a Sorceress or will Riza's Magic destroy her before they can. Rated M for later chapters.


Disclaimer: I do not own FF8 or any FF stuff (other than the tattoo on my back ( -_-), all credit for story characters, except OCs, goes to Square Enix.

If you for some reason you don't like my story please don't write about it in the reviews, kindly move along and read something else. I do however like constructive criticism. Please forgive any grammatical errors and spelling, and the name of the main character, it's very likely to change.

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Riza was chasing behind her twin brother across a never ending field of flowers, their childish laughter echoing across the empty plane creating an eerily haunting sound. Her brother stopped abruptly before plopping down on his back to stare up at the beautiful clear sky. It didn't take Riza long to do the same, she really missed these blissful moments with her brother.

 _Missed?_

Confusion echoed through her mind, her eyes narrowing. She turned her head to look at her brother but he was gone. Startled, she jumped to her feet and looked around frantically for him.

 _Sebastian?!_

The world tilted and seemed to get farther away from her before she realized she was no longer a child but an adult. The world around her was no longer lush with flowers but a barren waste land with brown grey dirt that was easily picked up but the gathering wind. She looked up at the sky to realize it no longer was clear and beautiful but dark and foreboding, clouds twisting and twirling in an ominous display of despair.

"Riza."

She jumped slightly at the small voice, looking around seeing nothing.

"Riza."

Looking down she saw the nine year old version of her brother and she shook her head as more confusion pressed its way into her mind. She tried to speak to him, to ask him what was going on, but nothing came out. She tried to move, to touch him, but she couldn't move. Panic set in and her eyes widen in fear at her lack of speech and movement and she screamed at herself to move, to do anything.

"Riza, you have to wake up," her brother whispered.

But she couldn't do anything; she couldn't move or even speak to ask how. In the distance a tornado touched down and started on a dangerous rampage towards them.

"Riza, you have to wake up!" her brother yelled at her. She almost missed it because of the howling winds that ripped at her clothes and hair, and yet the winds never moved her body. It tore the energy from her in such a rapid speed that scared her more than the tornado headed their way. She could feel her legs begin to shake from the strain of keeping her up and her head began to sag as it became heavy. She didn't know what to do, how to make it all stop, she didn't know how to wake up, and she didn't know she was even asleep. Everything was so confusing and frightening. She wasn't supposed to be this weak, this pathetic.

"Riza, you have to wake up! If you don't, they're going to die!"

She collapsed onto her knees in front of her brother, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wanted to wake up from this nightmare, she just didn't know how. The howling in her ears was deafening and it echoed in her mind with a ferocity that made it ache.

She was lost.

She was alone.

She was scared.

She was frustrated and confused.

She started when both her brother's hands cupped her face gently, the gentle smile on his face to her aback. The howling ended and the world around her stilled, the tornado was twirling in place in slow motion.

"Riza," her brother whispered, drawing her attention back to him instantly, "you are stronger than this, don't let her control you anymore. She will kill this world if you don't stop her. Only you can stop her. You and Garden."

Instantly the world around her faded and she was standing in front of a small group of teenagers and two men wearing what looked to be Garden uniforms. The first was a tall man with dirty blonde hair; a handsomely rugged face with emerald eyes while the second was a tad shorter with dark brown hair in a messy style that hung to his shoulders with storm grey eyes, his face was slightly narrower than his companion with handsome features that were marred by his frown. They both had gunblades drawn in defense but they weren't staring at her. Their gaze was planted firmly to something beside her, someone beside her.

She could vaguely make out the fact the person beside her was talking but it was garbled and seemed to be in slow motion. She couldn't move to see who it was beside her, all she could do was stare at the small group of teenagers, fear for their safety radiating through her body.

That world faded into darkness and the one her brother was in came back into view. He was still holding her face in his hands gently and smiled sadly at her. This wasn't her reality, the other was. She would have to leave him and go back. She was so confused and lost and didn't know what to do. She didn't know if she could save them, she didn't even know how she knew they were in danger but she did. She knew the person beside her would kill them, using Riza's energy. She felt so tired and weak, she struggled to remain upright.

"I give you this gift, Riza. Careful how you use it, it will kill you if you abuse it," her brother whispered as he leaned forward and gently placed his lips on her forehead.

Power raced through her veins like a fire and a scream was ripped from her throat. The ground around her cracked and rumbled but she didn't notice. She threw back her head and screamed, all that was real was the fire that scorched through her body like lava. She had never felt such intense burning and she never wanted to again. After what felt an eternity the fire receded into the corners of her mind and she collapsed at her brother's feet, panting heavily. She finally took note of the rumbling ground, jets of steam erupting around her and her brother but she was to numb to care. The tornado all but forgotten.

"When your mission is done Riza, the price must be paid in full. You'll never be able to cast magic again, never be able to summon Guardian Forces again. Over use this power and you will burn."

She stared up at her brother and she found her voice worked, albeit barely, "Wh-what have…have you done?" she crocked out.

"I've merely released the ability that was lying dormant within your mind. The power they gave us, the power they stole from Ultimecia."

"Sorceress?"

"Yes," her brother grinned, "the sorceress who started the second sorceress war. But don't fear. You are no sorceress. No, dear sister, you are so much more." With that he gently patted her head with his hand just as the world around them opened up and they fell into darkness.

When her vision returned she had to blink several times to bring her vision back into focus. Standing some twenty-five yards in front of her was the group she had seen before but instead of slow motion things were moving at normal speed. All of her senses were assaulted at once as she tried to regain some form of understanding on what was happening around her. How did she even get here, was that some kind of dream she was just in? Did her brother just give her the power to defeat Ultimecia's daughter.

 _Wait. Daughter?_

She turned her head to the left and standing there beside her was a woman garbed in an all-black dress that hung to her feet and billowed out like a ball gown. The sleeves were Juliet Sleeves that hung down almost as long as the dress did. Around her neck was a blood red pendent that glowed brightly against her pale ivory skin. Her face was gorgeous, but her red cruel eyes contrasted greatly with it. Her hair was jet black and was pulled up into a tight bun, while two pieces of hair hung down each side of her face to her waist.

Riza was so confused; she lifted her hands to look at them and noticed they were shaking. They were covered with black leather fingerless gloves while the rest of her was dressed in dark gray Cheongsam style clothes. The sleeves stopped just past her shoulders, while the rest was form fitting around her bust and waist and at her hips it flared out ever so slightly to fall to her ankles. Her legs were covered in a soft black cloth material that were slightly baggy around her legs and ended where a pair of black knee high combat boots began. On her hip were two retractable swords, a handgun and a small pouch.

"….death will be swift and painless. The Eye of Saavan will obliterate everything in its path, including you pests." The woman beside her stated with such malice Riza couldn't believe it came out of her mouth.

Everything came flooding back, upon hearing Megaera talk. Riza had been a soldier in Esther's army, not the present Esther but the future. She was a commander. Because no one could defeat Ultimecia in her time, the three great world powers of Gia determined to send back an elite squad of soldiers, during time compression, to find and destroy Ultimecia's blood line to prevent this tragedy from happening. Before the plan could take place, Ultimecia's daughter, Megaera, found out and ambushed the soldiers. Riza's soldiers. Everything else was a blur of pain and despair that Riza could not seem to make surface in her mind.

 _Ultimecia's Daughter. Megaera._

Riza shook her head, trying to clear the fog that wouldn't seem to retreat. At first she thought the movement had gone unnoticed until the brown haired man shifted his storm colored eyes to her. His glare was frigged and she found herself shivering under the intensity of it. She found that all she could do was stare back into those haunting eyes until a light began to shine beside her. Looking over she found floating between Megaera's hands was her pendent, it righten itself and faced the group of soldiers. The wind swirled around them before being sucked into the pendent and instantly, Riza knew it was getting ready to fire.

" _Save them."_

She clutched her head in one hand and doubled over as pain seared through her mind.

" _Save them or the world dies!"_

The world slowed around her again, to her left was Megaera, preparing to kill the soldiers. In front of her was the group of teenagers, fear written clearly on their faces. The two men, determination. Just then something poked at the edges of her consciousness, a power she had never felt before. She blinked once and when her eyes opened again she gasped. Around her and as far as she could see in every direction, up and down, were bright blue flowing lines of energy. In the distance she could see a dot of bright blue energy she knew was a draw point.

 _Magic!_

She could see the magic of the world, the magic that surrounded and fed Gia. She could see it gathered within the two men standing in front of her, in the teenagers behind them. Beside her, in Megaera's pendent was the largest gathering of magic she'd see so far. It almost concealed Megaera behind its brightness.

She reached out tentatively and touched the closest line to her. It sent a jolt of power surging through her system and she yelped in shock. Determination flooded her mind and she grabbed the line in her hand and cried out as energy and knowledge flooded through her like a raging river. She could draw magic from these lines in a constant stream; she could sustain shields and shells indefinitely through the stream of magic that was around her. Finally she knew what she had to do.

Blinking again the lines were gone but she could still feel them in her mind, feel the hum of the energy around her. She knew what she had to do. Time sped up again and Riza leapt from her spot beside Megaera and raced across the field towards the group of soldiers. She had to make. Behind her she could her Megaera shout but it was too late. The pendant erupted in a pure beam of red and black and white energy heading straight for the group. She stopped just feet away from the group, the men's gunblades were raised to protect themselves but they wouldn't be needed.

Riza twisted and crossed both arms in front of her face, "SHELL". The beam crashed into her shell and she cried out as she felt it crumbling around her. She desperately grasped at the tendrils of magic surrounding her with her mind and fed the shell. She stretched out her arms and held her hands flat against the shell. Power flowed into her mind and out of her hands. She burned. First it started in her mind and raced down her arms into her hands. Tears sprang into her eyes as her hands felt like she was holding them over a fire and she screamed as the pain intensified, collapsing onto one knee.

 _You will burn._

Her brother's words echoed through her mind as she remembered his warning but she couldn't stop, she couldn't let Megaera kill these people. She was done being her puppet.

Just as Riza thought she couldn't take anymore the beam faded from existence. Tears streamed down Riza's cheeks and she laughed dryly before doubling over into a coughing fit. Her hands burned, and with shaking arms she raised them into view before bringing them to her stomach, clutching them together. They were physically burned, from what she could see past her gloves. Red and raw, they looked as though she had placed them in a fire to cook.

Screeching brought her back to her senses and she looked up to see Megaera pointing at her, "How dare you! How did you break away from me!?"

Riza again chuckled before glaring at Megaera, "Never ag-again will you…" she had to stop to cough, "will you use me for your destruction."

Megaera's eyes narrowed, "I could just take you back right now, it would be nothing to slaughter these fools and take you. Look at you, you are weak and pathetic." She laughed.

Before Riza could retaliate the man with brown hair stepped forward, gunblade pointing at Megaera, and stated "I think not, headed our way is an airship with laser guided targeting systems and three squads of highly trained SeeDs. I suggest you surrender now."

Megaera laughed at that, covering her mouth with a delicate hand, "I think not SeeD Commander, I think not." Before anyone could react she swung her hand out in a sweeping motion and spoke "Blizzara". Shards of ice came flying their direction and all Riza could do was hunch over and pray the shards missed, she was too tired to do much else. When nothing hit, she looked up to see the back of the "Commander" and sighed softly. Darkness was beginning to edge its way around her vision and she became increasingly heavy and tired. She placed both hands on the ground in front of her and winced when the grass and leaves rubbed against her raw hands.

Riza saw black boots come into her field of vision before, for all she could assume, the man with blonde hair spoke, "Shit, that bitch got away. Teleportation magic is new. What do we do with this one?"

"She saved our lives and she looks injured. We'll take her back to Garden and interrogate her. If she gives us useful information and deemed and ally she won't be executed."

"She could be a double agent, this could have all been a…"

Riza's mind fogged for a moment and she didn't catch what the blonde man said. She swayed before collapsing onto her side. Why was she this tired? Was this the price for using Magic like this? Was this going to happen every time?

"…agent. Set up a parameter, cadets, I don't want anyone else sneaking up on us. Understood!?" The Commander spoke sternly.

"Understood, Sir!" they chimed in union before she heard footsteps running off.

The next few moments were all a blur as the world came and went and she could only understand bits and pieces of their conversation. In the distance she could hear the approaching airship, the movement of the trees in the wind, the chirp of birds returning to the damaged patch of forest. She was faintly aware of someone kneeling beside her and gently grabbing one of her hands. She groaned and tried to pull it away but lacked the strength and did little more that twitch. Faintly she heard the words "it'll be okay and thank you," before passing into oblivion and sweet relief.

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If I update, it will probably be slow. I have actually finished this story in my head but that's it. I'm not good at writing. If you really want me to finish it, keep reminding me. Thanks all!


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